Sunday, February 07, 2010

The coming age of barbarism and suffering. We've had the seven years of plenty, looks like the seven years of eternal famine are just beyond the horizon. The ANCYL has outlined it's "Prospectus" for Nationalisation and it makes for depressing reading. What I cannot understand, is that the markets have not really reacted much to all this talk of nationalisation over the past few months. Perhaps the world does not take the ANCYL, and Julius Malema seriously. I think it's a big mistake.

But hey, as one black guy said to me 4 years ago, just before I climbed onto the plane bound for Heathrow "Dis onse land, onse om op te fok as ons wil" (It's our land, ours' to fuck up if we wish)

Johannesburg - ANC Youth League (ANCYL) spokesperson Floyd Shivambu on Sunday explained the organisation's detailed perspective on the nationalisation of mines in a weekend newspaper.

In an opinion piece published in City Press, Shivambu said the ANCYL's conceptualisation of the nationalisation of mines is that it should result in the "democratic government's ownership and control of mining activities, including exploration, extraction, production, processing, trading and benefaction of mineral resources in South Africa".

According to Shivambu, nationalisation entails the following:

- It should be accompanied by a thorough transformation of state-owned enterprises.

- It can assume various forms: it can be 100% public ownership, or 51% or more owned by the state, or established through partnership arrangements with the private sector.

- It will involve expropriation with or without compensation.

- It is not meant to bail out indebted mining corporations.

Shivambu said the Freedom Charter will guide the programme of the nationalisation of mines, but that there are also other reasons why nationalisation should take place.

- To increase the state's revenue and improve working conditions. Mine workers should be adequately paid and their work conditions improved.

- As a basis for industrialisation to create more sustainable jobs for our people.

- As a means to safeguard sovereignty.

- As a basis to transform the accumulation path in the South African economy, so that the country is not overly dependent on the export of natural resources and the importing of finished goods and services.

- To transform South Africa's unequal spatial development patterns so that all communities with economic potential are given necessary attention in terms of development."

Shivambu said for nationalisation to happen, the ANCYL's lekgotla proposed the following measures:

- The state should establish a mining company to control the country's mineral resources and bring together all the country's mining interests. Importantly, that company should attract the best skills, expertise and knowledge.

- The state should adopt an expropriation model, which will specify how the state should expropriate economic activities with or without compensation.

- The state should amend the Minerals and Petroleum Resources Development Act (MPRDA) to include a clause compelling all mining corporations to enter into a partnership with the state for a licence."

Shivambu said the ANCYL will in the next few months engage alliance partners, business organisations and the Chamber of Mines in the programme towards "consolidation".

"We do not expect capitalists such as Nicky Oppenheimer to support nationalisation because he is protecting his ill-gotten wealth, currently worth billions of rands," Shivambu said.

"If greedy and unethical capitalists think that they have a hold on the ANC through Mines Minister Susan Shabangu, then they are misled. Shabangu is not the ANC and does not understand the ANC," Shivambu said in reference to Shabangu's statement at last week's Mining Indaba that nationalisation would not happen in her lifetime.

"It will involve expropriation with or without compensation" - I love this one. It's the way of the K4 - we take what you have even though you sweated blood and tears to make it what it is....When are people going to learn that these savages are just oxygen thieves???

@Snowy Smith. It has been alleged that you have a doctorate; and that you are a lawyer and a scholar. I would like to see some of that training then please.

If you are going to make wildly outlandish claims, like the R240 billion bailout or that Israel does not practise multiculturalism, which a simple Google search proves you to be wrong, then provide links to your sources and indulge us with your brilliance.

I am no longer going to tolerate your silly style of posing rhetorical questions, in a way that seems to suggest that "the truth is there for all to see". Provide the proof; axioms or biblical quotes do not qualify.

It is time that the people (white and black) wake up to the fact that nationalization will happen.It will happen sooner rather than later. It is the African locust way. When a resource has been depleted you move on to the next. The tax coffers are empty and the locusts has seen the minerals.

What you have to do firstly, is to (like an alcoholic) accept that this is going to happen. (Accept the problem)Then do steps to protect yourself.If you work in the mining industry, now would be a good time to be proactive and find alternative employment.

It goes hand in hand with a subsistence mentality. Take today what you need. Do no maintenance. Try to fix it when it breaks. If you cannot - Steal something else.

Classic African Marxism at work.

When the mines shut down like they did in Zim they will then sell them off to the next greedy white-boy, let him milk them for a few years, get them running again and then repeat the process of alienation, nationalsiation, destruction etc.